Black Girl Ventures (BGV) funds early-stage, revenue-generating businesses with under $1 million in revenue. We ignite civic engagement and strengthen local infrastructure across the U.S. by offering business support services, leadership development, supplier diversity, and both social and financial capital. While we typically support ventures from any industry, specific funding partnerships may require us to focus on certain sectors.
Our founders raise twice the national average in funding, grow their social capital tenfold, and 51% go on to join accelerators and incubators to further develop their ventures. BGV has impacted over 20,000 people across 64 countries. Our founders collectively represent over $10 million in revenue and have created more than 3,000 jobs for the U.S. economy.
About the 2026 Emerging Leaders Fellowship (ELF) 2.0
Black Girl Ventures’ Emerging Leaders Fellowship (ELF) 2.0 is a reimagined 12-week accelerator for revenue-generating founders ready to scale. This program positions small businesses as a powerful engine for absorbing today’s talent while providing a transparent pipeline from capacity building to capital acquisition.
Through this program, founders can walk away with over $40,000 in total capital and support to transform from "solo-operators" into tech-savvy CEOs with the infrastructure to hire.
The Capital: Direct Funding & Pitch Prizes
We combine leadership development and workforce strategy with capital activation.
- Guaranteed Stipend: Each Fellow receives a $5,000 stipend.
- Detroit Cohort Virtual Pitch Prizes: Compete for local funding at the end of the 12 weeks:
- 1st Place: $15,000
- 2nd Place: $10,000
- 3rd Place: $5,000
- Crowd Favorite: $2,500
Crowdfunding Revenue: You will execute a 7-day crowdfunding campaign on the Raisify platform to secure additional market-validated capital.
The National Pitch Finale: The top three winners from the Virtual Crowdfunding Pitch advance to the national stage to compete for an additional prize pool:
- 1st Place: $15,000
- 2nd Place: $10,000
- 3rd Place: $5,000
- Crowd Favorite: $2,500
The 12-Week Roadmap to Scale
Our curriculum focuses on AI integration and operational efficiency to free up human capacity for hiring.
- Phase 1: Core Curriculum (Weeks 1-6): Master OKRs, Market Strategy, and AI to automate manual tasks.
- Phase 2: Activation & Visibility (Weeks 7-9): Transition to competition with Pitch Training, Pitch Practice, and a Recording Day for your 3-minute investor pitch.
- Phase 3: Vtrial Competition, Crowdfunding & Audit (Weeks 10-12): Complete Crowdfunding Training and launch your 7-day campaign alongside a Live Virtual Pitch Competition.
The Finale & Travel Benefits
The top three Detroit winners will advance to the national Pitch Finale. BGV covers all travel and lodging costs for the six finalists, ensuring geography is never a barrier to your national visibility.
Ideal Founder Profile (Detroit Application)
- Location: To be considered, founders must be based in Detroit.
- Ownership: Must identify as an under-resourced entrepreneur with at least 51% ownership.
- Traction: Business must be revenue-generating and in operation for at least two years.
- Scaling Potential: Ready to move from a "solo-operator" to a CEO with the capacity to hire fractional or full-time talent.
- Commitment: Ability to commit to 12 hours per month and participate in both virtual and in-person pitching.
Important Dates
- Applications Open: February 16, 2026
- Applications Close: March 13, 2026
- Program Kick-off: March 28, 2026
- Sessions: Every Wednesday from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST.
Format: All weekly sessions are virtual via Zoom